How to do better store visits

Learning to look through our shoppers eyes

Its all about perspective, asking why, and how we
judge
What does HE see?
What does HE think?
What does HE feel?
What does SHE see?
What does SHE think?
What does SHE feel?
There are three ways to improve:
1. Take a different perspective: You need to step
outside of who you are and become one of them.
2. The power of asking Why: Just observing something is useless. We need
to ask ourselves why did she do that or why is that good. We must form
hypothesis to be proven, or disproven.
3. The way we judge: We must appraise what we see
impartially. The shopper merit is determined by the
shopper, not us.
9. Are you decided upon at
the shelf or not
7. We do not judge the
competition fairly
8. We need to learn from
other categories
5. Shoppers assess value
differently to us
3. Shoppers dont manage
brands, they buy and consume
them
1. We are not our shoppers
6.Winning beauty contests does
not equal sales
4. We go when we want to; not
when they need to
10. In store staff know more
that you do
2. Shoppers go shopping to shop,
not survey brands
There are 10 weaknesses to our approach
Fact: We are not our shoppers
Insight: Unilever managers are not representative of
our shoppers. We are well paid, educated and
come from within the industry.
Action: When in-store you must step outside of who
you are and force yourself to think and act like a
typical shopper.
Helpful Tips:
Go to stores that you do not normally shop at.
Go to places where you do not normally go to.
Make sure you do store visits and shopper
connects when you travel to other countries and
markets.
Look at products you do not normally buy.
Research before hand and find out where the bulk
of the population sits on the LSM scale. Give
yourself an imaginary budget similar to the
average.
Think about their household, their children, their
budget and their mode of transport.
Write down a list of what you think they would
need (not want) and what their budget would
roughly be.
Think about these two things while in store above
all else.
One of us
One of our
Shoppers
Fact: We go when we want to; not when they need to
Insight: Shoppers shop on certain days
and at certain times. If you want to
observe shoppers in their natural
habitat doing what they normally do,
you need to go there when they are
most likely to be there and in that
mode.
Action: Do your store visits at the most
popular shopping times on the most
popular shopping days. Plan your
trips well in advance.
Helpful Tips:
Do your homework and find out before hand what are the busiest
shopping times and days (as a rule of thumb, working people shop outside
of working hours).
Use basic logic and common sense; weekends are prime shopping times
for modern trade shoppers & 5:00am is a prime shopping time in a wet
market.
Fact: Shoppers go shopping to shop, not survey brands
Insight: Shoppers usually have a reason to
go shopping. When you go into a store,
what is your purpose? Usually it is to
see how your product looks on shelf or
to see what the competition are up to.
These are two very different objectives.
Action: You must walk into a store in a
shopping mode (not a survey mode).
The store will look and feel very
different. Do a shop not a store visit.
Helpful Tips:
Take a mock-up shopping list as you
would when you go shopping
personally.
Follow this list and shop with a trolley or
basket.
Walk the entire store following a typical
shopper route.
Spend adequate time in each
aisle/category; dont just go to your
section.
Log what you discover as you go. Take
photos if you can. If you are not
permitted to, make sketches to bring
your insights to life.
Our tools of trade
Their tools of
trade
Fact: Shoppers dont manage brands; they buy them
Insight: When we, (ie Unilever employees) go into
store we zero in on our beloved brands and
products. We block out other things when
actually we need to focus on those other
things just as much as our own. Shoppers did
not spend 18 months and have to pass four
IPM gates to write their shopping list.
Action: You must disconnect yourself from your
brand. The bias of ownership in-store will
handicap your ability to see through a
shoppers eyes.
Helpful Tips:
Ask yourself, what would your
mum see or notice if she was
shopping right now.
Learn to blur your eyes as you
look at displays, shelves and
products. This will help to show
you what shoppers see, not
what you want to see.
Fact: We can learn from other categories
Insight: When we go into a store 90% of the time we go straight to our category and look
at our brand.
Action: Look at as many categories as possible to learn from others. Observe what they
are doing and ask why they are executing in this way.
Helpful Tips:
Pick the category directly opposite yours in the
aisle. Write down 3 things that the category or
brands are doing to convert shoppers in that
category.
Take each three then apply them to your
category to see if they fit or would work.
If they would not work write down why.
If they would work write down how you would
execute it in your category with your brand.
Back at the office find out if this has been done in
any other markets or in your country before to
investigate how effective it was.
Fact: We judge the competition unfairly
Helpful Tips:
Look at your competition and try to post rationalize their execution.
Take your products and find three things wrong with them as a stress test.
Go to a completely foreign category pick up two products and compare them as if you were
buying them. Now go back to you section and do the same for your product and a
competitors product.
Observe 5 shoppers in a row. What did they touch or pick-up. Ask yourself why those
products were engaged and why others were not. If they picked your competitors
products go and look at them afterwards (yourself) asking the same question.
Action:
Dont apply industry
criteria to what you see
in-store. You need to
look and judge in-store
execution in a way a
shopper would.
Insight:
We judge things in store
based on industry
metrics and standards,
not on the actual
shopper merit. We tend
to criticize the
competition and post
rationalise our execution
in-store.
Fact: Winning beauty contests doesnt
equal sales
Insight: We tend to judge the quality of our execution in-store
based on what we think looks good; not what our
shoppers think looks good. Stand out on shelf is much
more important than beauty when it comes to driving
sales and market share. Before they can buy a product,
a shopper must be able to see it and understand it.
Action: When judging your products at the point of purchase
look at them for how well they:
1. catch the shoppers attention amongst their surroundings
2. Tell you what they are and what they do
3. convey the key selling points / close the sale
Helpful Tips:
Stand well back from your products location in store
when you look at them.
Blur your eyes; can you still see the important selling
points?
Walk along the aisle and try to find and understand your
products without stopping. Could you read the brand
and variant? Could you understand what your products
are and what they do in 5 seconds?
Fact: Shoppers assess value differently to us
Insight: Shoppers measure value in-store through a mix of elements and a host of trade-offs.
Helpful Tips:
Look at the product size
impression.
Does it look bigger or smaller
compared to the logical
alternative?
Dont just look at the volume or
weight. Learn to look at the
number of usage occasions (ie
doses or washes in laundry).
For promotional activity, look at
the percentage saved and also
the cash saving.
How compelling is this in real
terms for a shopper.
Look at the deal and ask yourself
would I buy that?
Action:
Try to compare and contrast value by assessing it in
the same way a shopper would given the
circumstances.
We need to do the same value trade-offs that a
shopper would do at the point of sale.
Fact: Shoppers buy because of years of history,
personal bias and emotional links
Insight: Shoppers arrive at a store having made many
decisions already. They will have subconsciously
chosen the outlet, the budget, and their their list. Even
more important, they arrive with well-developed
preferences for brands, based on associations built up
over time from a host of sources.
Action: Make sure you cleans yourself of your personal
biases. Try to think of how they would be
subconsciously preparing to shop in the store you are
visiting.
Helpful Tips:
Pick a typical shopper out from the crowd. Build a
hypothetical story up of who he/she is.
At a polite distance observe him/her throughout the trip.
Ask yourself was that driven by what she encountered
at the point of purchase or was it something pre-
determined (ie decided upon out of the store).
Try to link these back to your brand and ask yourself;
are you decided upon already or at the shelf in-store.
Fact: In store staff know more than you when it
comes to shoppers
Insight: We can learn a lot from the staff who
work in-store and interact with shoppers
daily. In-store staff can help us to
understand what makes shoppers do
what they do and most importantly what
converts them.
Action: When in-store, make an effort to
interact with the staff. Talking the store
manager, the merchandisers, our
promotional girls and sales push teams
can teach us allot.
Helpful Tips:
Think carefully about how you engage
with them. Approach them in a non
threatening way.
Ask them open ended questions.
Dont just tell them about your brand.
Find out off them what is selling and
what is not. Ask them why.
Ask them why our products are easy or
hard to sell.
How to prepare for your Store Visit
1. Before You Go
2. As you enter
3. As you do the
shop
4. When you check
out
5. When
you get
back
Store Observation Flow Diagram
2. As you
enter
3. As you do the shop
4. When you check
out
5. When
you get
back
1. Before
you go
1. Before you go
Select your store (or stores) wisely. Think
about what you want to get out of the
trip. Write it down clearly and
succinctly. State your objective.
Do your desk research on the channel, the
retailer, the store. Know where you are
going.
Do your desk research on the catchment area
(the region, the location the street the
shopping centre etc.)
Do your desk research on the shopper profile
you expect to encounter (LSM, Culture)
Dress appropriately. Try not to stand out. You
need to blend in; you will be more
effective.
Take along your mobile phone to take photos
(if you are allowed)
Prepare your mock-up shopping list
Establish your realistic mock-up budget
Most importantly: Make sure your list and your budget reflect the typical
shopper; not yourself.
2. As you enter
Observe transport types, and accessibility. Pay
particular attention to how the majority of
shoppers are arriving and leaving the store you
plan on visiting. Also look closely at car parks
and how full or empty they are.
Look at the surrounding buildings, stores or shops. Pay
particular attention to what else is for sale in the
immediate area, centre or mall. What type of
catchment area is it. Where are people moving to
and from.
Pay careful attention to the people in the area. Note
their numbers, their movements and their
activities. Are they male or female. How are they
dressed. Do they have children or partners with
them. Look at those going in and those coming
out of the store. What method are shoppers
using; a trolley, a basket or something else. Think
about their LSM; is there consistency or is there
diversity.
Most importantly:. Make sure you take this last chance to step
outside of who you are and become one of your shoppers.
3. As you do the shop
Make a quick sketch of the store layout and any noticeable features.
Pick up a basket or get a trolley.
Do your full shopping trip now. Use the list you have prepared. Try
to stay in line with the budget you have set.
.
Now that you have completed this task, reverse the process and
replace all the products you have just selected one by one.
Each time you do this ask yourself why did I chose that
product? Note the reasons down. Try to use criteria like,
display, standard price, promotional price, pack size, claims,
POS, stand out on shelf etc.
At this point also note down the route you took. Make specific points
on where you visited versus where you did not. Most
importantly note down why you excluded these aisles or
areas. Think about influences like, signage, POS, category
adjacencies and the overall store flow.
After you have competed this exercise now take some time to observe
other shoppers. Try to spend just as much time observing
them as it took to do yours. Make a note of the time it takes
others to; shop each aisle, select each product. Its also vital
to observe what mode they are in. Are they (i) impulse buying
(ii) selecting on autopilot, or (iii) thinking carefully about it.
Are they reading any of the following: POS, Signage, Pack
Details (front & back). Are they being helped or handicapped
by others with them (ie kids). Think about what sort of
mission they are on for example, top-up, weekly stock up or
emergency. Think about their mood. Are they enjoying this or
is it a chore.
If there are store staff available ask them what is selling and what is
not. Make notes based on what they tell you.
4. When you check out
Take stock of the cash registers and what the queues
are like. Are they long and if so how long is the
wait.
What offers and what messages are being
communicated at the checked out area. What type
of products are on display. Are they impulse
lines or not.
Consider how others are paying for their baskets. Are
they using cash or credit. Are they using loyalty
cards or coupons?
Observe how shoppers are leaving the store and watch
for what type of transport they are using. Are
they walking, riding a motorbike or bicycle,
driving a car or catching a form of public
transport (eg bus).
Think about how easy or how awkward it is for them to
manage their shopping bags. Are they struggling
or are they managing it easily. Think about how
long it would take them to get home and if items
like ice cream would melt or eggs would get
broken.
Watch long enough to determine if they are going
straight home or if they moving onto their next
task or location.
Think about what they will do when they get home. How
will they be unpacking and storing their products.
What type of rooms would be in their house.
What sort of meals would they be preparingtry
to close the loop.
5. When you get back
Make sure you capture your notes in a way that you can share them.
Share these with your team (including your line manager) and
also your CMI business partner.
Try to form hypothesis for your key observations. Note these in a
way that is easily recognised by others.
Save or scan-in any material that you collected on your trip like store
folders/flyers, brochures, pictures, samples and promotional
entry forms.
Make sure you save your findings, material and photos in a place that
can act like a catalogue. The concept being that you will add
to it over time. You can upload your material to:
http://teamsites.unilever.com/collab/ShopperInsight/default.aspx if
you are a member.

And most importantly.for the insights that you believe to be
significant, draft a quick email and send them to the AAC
Shopper Insight Team. Your contributions will help us build
an invaluable shopper knowledge base

Anthony.woo@unilever.com
Ronald.fernandez@unilever.com
Melissa.orchard@unilever.com
Neil.munro@unilever.com
A practical guide to improving your in-store observation skills
There are three basic ways to improve your observation skills in-store:
1) Take a different perspective: You need to step outside of who you are and become one of them.
2) The power of asking Why: Just observing something is useless. We need to ask ourselves why did she do that or why is that good. We must form hypothesis to be proven, or disproven.
3) The way we judge: We must appraise what we see impartially. The shopper merit is determined by the shopper, not us.
1. We are not our shoppers
2. We go when we want to; not
when they need to
3. Shoppers go shopping to
shop, not survey brands
4. Shoppers dont manage
brands, they buy them
5. Shoppers assess value
differently to us
6. Winning beauty contests does
not equal sales
7. Judge the competition fairly
8. Learn from other categories
9. Are you decided upon at the
shelf, in-store or not?
10. In store staff know more than
you do when it comes to
shoppers
Unilever managers are not representative of our shoppers. We are well
paid, educated and come from within the industry.
Shoppers shop on certain days at certain times. If you want to observe
shoppers doing what they normally do, you need to be there when they
are.
When we go into store we are checking how our products and
promotions look, or we are checking what the competition are up to.
Shoppers never do this. We must observe shopping not survey brands.
When we go into store we zero in on our beloved brands and products.
We block out everything else when actually this aspect is more important
because that is what we understand the least.
We need to do the same value trade-offs that a shopper would do at the
point of sale.
Stand out on shelf is much more important than beauty when it comes to
driving sales and market share in-store. Before a shopper can buy a
product they must be able to see it and understand it.
We judge things in store based on industry standards, not on the actual
shopper merit. We criticize the competition and post rationalise our
errors or weaknesses in-store.
When we go into a store we go straight to our category and look at our
brand.
Shoppers arrive in-store having made many decisions already. Most will
have decided upon the outlet, the budget, and their list without even a
thought. Is your brand decided upon like this or not?
We can learn a lot from the people who work in-store and interact with
shoppers everyday. In-store staff can help us to understand what makes
shoppers do what they do and most importantly what converts them.
When in-store you must step outside of who you are and force yourself to think
and act like a typical shopper.
Do your store visits at the most popular shopping times on the most popular
shopping days. Plan your trips well in advance.
Disconnect yourself from your brand. The bias of ownership in-store will
handicap your ability to see what the shopper sees.
Try to compare and contrast value by assessing it in the same way a shopper
would given the circumstances.
Judge your brand in-store by how well it catches the shoppers eye amongst its
surroundings. Pressure test your standout by walking past the category without
stopping; could you see it?
Dont use industry metrics to measure what you see in-store. You need to look
and judge in-store execution in a way a shopper would.
Look at as many categories as possible to learn from others. Observe what they
are doing and ask why they are executing in this way. Try to apply these to your
category to see if they are relevant.
Make sure you cleans yourself of your personal biases. Observe shoppers who
buy your category. Did they use in-store stimulus to decide, or did they just grab
the product automatically.
When in-store, make an effort to interact with the staff. Talking to the store
manager, the merchandisers, or our own promotional girls can reveal allot.
Observe shoppers not items. Look at behavior not products. Walk the entire
store following a typical shopper route. Use a mock-up list and use a trolley or
basket.
Headline Insight Action